'Luxury' car ~15k budget

Illogical_eric · 11-05-2021 8:30am #1

Hi Guys
Long lurker/new poster etc.
Hoping people here may be offer to some advice. I've been driving an old fiesta the last few years and finally want to treat myself with a bit of an upgrade.

I've been mainly looking at;
A5, 2 series, 3 series, Mazda 6 & the is300h

I suppose my question is tri-fold.

1) is my budget sufficient to get a 2nd hand car in reasonable condition that isn't going to be a nightmare for me going forward
2) are there any specific watch outs for the cars listed
3) are there any similiar cars you might recommend instead ?

At the minute my #1 pick would be the A5 coupe. From what I've seen online I could probably get a 2013-2015 with ~100k miles.
Thanks

Brian? · 11-05-2021 8:32am

Illogical_eric wrote: »

Hi Guys
Long lurker/new poster etc.
Hoping people here may be offer to some advice. I've been driving an old fiesta the last few years and finally want to treat myself with a bit of an upgrade.

I've been mainly looking at;
A5, 2 series, 3 series, Mazda 6 & the is300h

I suppose my question is tri-fold.

1) is my budget sufficient to get a 2nd hand car in reasonable condition that isn't going to be a nightmare for me going forward
2) are there any specific watch outs for the cars listed
3) are there any similiar cars you might recommend instead ?

At the minute my #1 pick would be the A5 coupe. From what I've seen online I could probably get a 2013-2015 with ~100k miles.
Thanks

Out of the cars mentioned I'd 100% go for the Lexus. None of the cars will be a nightmare, most modern cars are pretty reliable.

Brian? · 11-05-2021 8:35am

I'm currently shopping for one of these

https://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/mercedes-benz/c-class/fpa/202104281929676?journey=Search

I don't know if you can stretch you budget. Plug in hybrid is my number 1 priority, followed by estate.

punisher5112 · 11-05-2021 8:45am

So many different models and specs, none of them really match up....

Audi A4,A5,A6, vw Passat or better still Passat cc, Octavia vRS or superb, mercedes C or E.
I'd stay well clear of Mazda if it's a diesel you are going for.....
Lexus hybrid another option but all depends on what driving you are doing.

Some of your list wouldn't call luxury

johnnyfruitcake · 11-05-2021 9:03am

punisher5112 wrote:

I'd stay well clear of Mazda if it's a diesel you are going for.

Is there bother with the Mazda diesel engines?
My brother is looking at a 13 Mazda estate, 260,000 kms.
Anything to look out for with them?

Illogical_eric · 11-05-2021 9:11am

Brian? wrote: »

Out of the cars mentioned I'd 100% go for the Lexus. None of the cars will be a nightmare, most modern cars are pretty reliable.

Brian? wrote: »

I'm currently shopping for one of these

I don't know if you can stretch you budget. Plug in hybrid is my number 1 priority, followed by estate.

Hey Brian, why would you choose the Lexus out of curiosity? I had previously looked at the Mercedes but hadn't found one sub 20k that was something id be interested in, I must have a better search as that one is quite nice.

punisher5112 wrote: »

So many different models and specs, none of them really match up....

Audi A4,A5,A6, vw Passat or better still Passat cc, Octavia vRS or superb, mercedes C or E.
I'd stay well clear of Mazda if it's a diesel you are going for.....
Lexus hybrid another option but all depends on what driving you are doing.

Some of your list wouldn't call luxury

I wouldn't be the most car savvy to be honest, so plenty I'd have missed! The majority of my drives would be sub 30minutes, approximately 500km a month. What would be the watch-out with the Mazda diesel?

11-05-2021 9:15am

The 2.2 in the Mazda is to be avoided. Mate got one new as a company car, had read some of the stuff online but figured it wasn't his money and it was the nicest to drive out of the options he had. Big mileage, serviced regularly. DPF started causing problems about 2 years in, ended up getting towed about once a month. Mostly spent the last 6 months of the 3 years he was meant to have it in different hire cars, would get it back "fixed" and less than a week later would be back in a Kadjar or something. I was with him one time when it went and the tow driver said that engine was most of his business when on-call. (Slight exaggeration I'm sure :pac: )
After the DPF was "fixed" it went a couple more while on the motorway. The EGR (or whatever it's called on that engine) went, it got the creamy crap build up around the oil cap and eventually got to the point that he wouldn't get it home after a "fix" without the engine light coming on or losing power.

coolisin · 11-05-2021 9:19am

Mazda diesels had/have a rep of dumping diesel into the oil ruining the engine.
A guy in work put me off the last model 3 as he had endless trouble after picking it up brand new, he held onto it for around 12 months.

I dont know if the new model engines have improved.

Brian? · 11-05-2021 10:07am

Illogical_eric wrote: »

Hey Brian, why would you choose the Lexus out of curiosity? I had previously looked at the Mercedes but hadn't found one sub 20k that was something id be interested in, I must have a better search as that one is quite nice.

I wouldn't be the most car savvy to be honest, so plenty I'd have missed! The majority of my drives would be sub 30minutes, approximately 500km a month. What would be the watch-out with the Mazda diesel?

Lexus is Hybrid, Japanese quality with the comfort of a Mercedes. They’re the best looking of the cars you listed.

bazz26 · 11-05-2021 10:08am

Get the IS300h. It will be the cheapest of that lot to own and maintain. If your driving is sub 30 min journeys and only 500km a month then you don't need the hassle of a diesel car for that little usage. Your problem will be trying to find a decent one for 15k.

Illogical_eric · 11-05-2021 11:54am

Deleted User wrote: »

The 2.2 in the Mazda is to be avoided. Mate got one new as a company car, had read some of the stuff online but figured it wasn't his money and it was the nicest to drive out of the options he had. Big mileage, serviced regularly. DPF started causing problems about 2 years in, ended up getting towed about once a month. Mostly spent the last 6 months of the 3 years he was meant to have it in different hire cars, would get it back "fixed" and less than a week later would be back in a Kadjar or something. I was with him one time when it went and the tow driver said that engine was most of his business when on-call. (Slight exaggeration I'm sure :pac: )
After the DPF was "fixed" it went a couple more while on the motorway. The EGR (or whatever it's called on that engine) went, it got the creamy crap build up around the oil cap and eventually got to the point that he wouldn't get it home after a "fix" without the engine light coming on or losing power.

coolisin wrote: »

Mazda diesels had/have a rep of dumping diesel into the oil ruining the engine.
A guy in work put me off the last model 3 as he had endless trouble after picking it up brand new, he held onto it for around 12 months.

I dont know if the new model engines have improved.

Good to know thank you - certainly don't want something unreliable

Brian? wrote: »

Lexus is Hybrid, Japanese quality with the comfort of a Mercedes. They’re the best looking of the cars you listed.

bazz26 wrote: »

Get the IS300h. It will be the cheapest of that lot to own and maintain. If your driving is sub 30 min journeys and only 500km a month then you don't need the hassle of a diesel car for that little usage. Your problem will be trying to find a decent one for 15k.

thanks guys, appreciate it. I was planning on picking up from a dealer vs a private seller, not sure if there's much wiggle room on price if buying as a once-off vs. finance.

bazz26 · 11-05-2021 12:29pm

Here is an example:
https://www.carsireland.ie/2830694

Brian? · 11-05-2021 1:09pm

bazz26 wrote: »

Here is an example:
https://www.carsireland.ie/2830694

That's a beauty

wassie · 11-05-2021 1:24pm

Buying a car of that age & mileage is an unknown, regardless if you buy privater or from a dealer. And even if you do have a major problem, sometimes fighting a dealer to repair can be difficult & time consuming. An independent mechanical check is worth its weight in gold and may save buying an expensive problem.

Typically Japanese & Korean brands typically have greater reliability (although there are exceptions as it would appear above for the Mazda 2.2d), particularly as they get older. Hence why Lexus (which is a sub-brand of Toyota and shares a lot mechanically) is recommended as a luxury brand. Also repairs are generally lower cost when things go wrong.

Also worthwhile to get quotes for servicing on the cars you are looking at. Euros can be ridiculously expensive again, although good independent mechanics can offset this.

Buddy Bubs · 11-05-2021 1:31pm

Illogical_eric wrote: »

Hi Guys
Long lurker/new poster etc.
Hoping people here may be offer to some advice. I've been driving an old fiesta the last few years and finally want to treat myself with a bit of an upgrade.

I've been mainly looking at;
A5, 2 series, 3 series, Mazda 6 & the is300h

I suppose my question is tri-fold.

1) is my budget sufficient to get a 2nd hand car in reasonable condition that isn't going to be a nightmare for me going forward
2) are there any specific watch outs for the cars listed
3) are there any similiar cars you might recommend instead ?

At the minute my #1 pick would be the A5 coupe. From what I've seen online I could probably get a 2013-2015 with ~100k miles.
Thanks

Best looking....a5 by some distance....although this is subjective of course...but we're they available as a 4 door in the years your budget will allow? Not sure. Maybe you're happy with couple.

Best drivers cars the bmws. 3 series much more substantial and comfortable than the 2 series. 2 series with a decent engine will be a real drivers car. But still wouldn't be my cup of tea. Strong case for the 3 series though.

Best running costs....the Lexus hybrid. Probably. Personally don't like Lexus interiors myself, never have.

Most likely to blow up....Mazda if its a diesel!
Although I do think Mazda 6 is a smart looking car. Aging a bit now though.

passatman86 · 11-05-2021 1:39pm

The toyota camry look nice
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-camry-2-5-hybrid-face-lift/26754514

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-camry-2-5-hybrid-automatic/27669283

punisher5112 · 11-05-2021 1:39pm

Op you don't need diesel so it's petrol or petrol hybrid for you, if you had some extra a ioniq would fit you perfectly.

Mazda diesel are a ticking time bomb....

TheBoyConor · 11-05-2021 1:58pm

Audi and anything VW related would have a reputation for frequent, expensive electrical and electronic problems that are often intractable and can never seem to be resolved in a satisfactory way until they just come up with the crazy expensive notion of replace the loom, replace the ecus, replace every sensor, switch and actuator idea.

I have never heard of anyone owning a VW group car not having expensive problems at some stage.

Water2626262 · 11-05-2021 2:23pm

I had a facelift A5 coupe and it was very nice inside (albeit not much headroom if over 6ft) and a nice drive. I don’t think there are too many issues with them. Mine had 100k km on it and not a bother with it. If you do go with an A5 make sure it has xenons and leds as they make the car look very modern. The front facelift leds hold up better than some newer cars I reckon.

Had an A6 c7 after and the interior plastics felt less solid and cheaper than the A5.

The 5 door A5s in Ireland tend to be worse specced (halogen lights and 120bhp models are more common than the 177bhp which is in every coupe)

The one thing I will say is the value is gone since brexit. You won’t get a bargain anymore and they are getting more scarce.

AMKC · 11-05-2021 2:24pm

What about a Volvo S60. Lovely car.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volvo-s60-1-6-t4-r-design-automatic-1-owner-f/27828380

Brian? · 11-05-2021 2:42pm

AMKC wrote: »

What about a Volvo S60. Lovely car.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volvo-s60-1-6-t4-r-design-automatic-1-owner-f/27828380

That must be a pig to drive with that engine

Illogical_eric · 11-05-2021 2:44pm

Buddy Bubs wrote: »

Best looking....a5 by some distance....although this is subjective of course...but we're they available as a 4 door in the years your budget will allow? Not sure. Maybe you're happy with couple.

Best drivers cars the bmws. 3 series much more substantial and comfortable than the 2 series. 2 series with a decent engine will be a real drivers car. But still wouldn't be my cup of tea. Strong case for the 3 series though.

Best running costs....the Lexus hybrid. Probably. Personally don't like Lexus interiors myself, never have.

Most likely to blow up....Mazda if its a diesel!
Although I do think Mazda 6 is a smart looking car. Aging a bit now though.

I think that's why i had the A5 as my preference, I think the coupe's are lovely looking cars. Similiar enough reason for having the two series on the list - i think it looks quite sporty.

Illogical_eric · 11-05-2021 2:48pm

passatman86 wrote: »

The toyota camry look nice

Not my cup of tea personally but not a bad looking car

punisher5112 wrote: »

Op you don't need diesel so it's petrol or petrol hybrid for you, if you had some extra a ioniq would fit you perfectly.

Mazda diesel are a ticking time bomb....

I had a feeling diesel might be overkill for mileage, not the biggest fan of the Ionic, don't like the rear of it.

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Audi and anything VW related would have a reputation for frequent, expensive electrical and electronic problems that are often intractable and can never seem to be resolved in a satisfactory way until they just come up with the crazy expensive notion of replace the loom, replace the ecus, replace every sensor, switch and actuator idea.

I have never heard of anyone owning a VW group car not having expensive problems at some stage.

Would that still be common with relatively recent (2013-2015 cars?)

Water2626262 wrote: »

I had a facelift A5 coupe and it was very nice inside (albeit not much headroom if over 6ft) and a nice drive. I don’t think there are too many issues with them. Mine had 100k km on it and not a bother with it. If you do go with an A5 make sure it has xenons and leds as they make the car look very modern. The front facelift leds hold up better than some newer cars I reckon.

Had an A6 c7 after and the interior plastics felt less solid and cheaper than the A5.

The 5 door A5s in Ireland tend to be worse specced (halogen lights and 120bhp models are more common than the 177bhp which is in every coupe)

The one thing I will say is the value is gone since brexit. You won’t get a bargain anymore and they are getting more scarce.

I quite like the A5s alright, im quite tall (6 4') but I think i'd be alright with the lack of long drives i'll need it for

AMKC wrote: »

What about a Volvo S60. Lovely car.

very tidy looking, hadn't considered it previously - cheers!

Buddy Bubs · 11-05-2021 2:59pm

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Audi and anything VW related would have a reputation for frequent, expensive electrical and electronic problems that are often intractable and can never seem to be resolved in a satisfactory way until they just come up with the crazy expensive notion of replace the loom, replace the ecus, replace every sensor, switch and actuator idea.

I have never heard of anyone owning a VW group car not having expensive problems at some stage.

Let me be your first!

11-05-2021 3:03pm

On that S60, does €14k for an 8 year old small-engined car seem absolutely mental to anyone else?

TheBoyConor · 11-05-2021 3:05pm

Volvos of that era are unmaintainable. Many of them develop some sort of BCM related issue that makes the car go into limp mode. From experience, and from knowing people who have had them also, it is next to impossible to get them back to a reliable state when it starts to go wrong. Whatever repairs or replacements were done, the car could never be depended on again as it could randomly go into limp mode, or refuse to start.

My mother had an S40 of that era and after 6 weeks or so we had finally had enough and I had to go down to the dealer and bang on the desk to get them to take the car back and give us a refund.

11-05-2021 3:08pm

Illogical_eric wrote: »

very tidy looking, hadn't considered it previously - cheers!

Great cars but get one with better engine.

Edit: 2013: That's pre engine change, yeah? Get post 2014

AMKC · 11-05-2021 3:09pm

Brian? wrote: »

That must be a pig to drive with that engine

Why? It has 180bhp. Nothing wrong with that. Plenty of power for that car.

AMKC · 11-05-2021 3:11pm

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Volvos of that era are unmaintainable. Many of them develop some sort of BCM related issue that makes the car go into limp mode. From experience, and from knowing people who have had them also, it is next to impossible to get them back to a reliable state when it starts to go wrong. Whatever repairs or replacements were done, the car could never be depended on again as it could randomly go into limp mode, or refuse to start.

My mother had an S40 of that era and after 6 weeks or so we had finally had enough and I had to go down to the dealer and bang on the desk to get them to take the car back and give us a refund.

Maybe she just got a bad egg. The brother has one and it has been very reliable so far its diesel do.

kilburn · 11-05-2021 3:20pm

I was in a similar situation last year my banger Mondeo died a painful death and I wanted to treat myself.

In the end I bought a Skoda Superb estate best car I ever had and can't fault it. The saloon is a nice car also so worth having a look.

Buddy Bubs · 11-05-2021 3:21pm

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Volvos of that era are unmaintainable. Many of them develop some sort of BCM related issue that makes the car go into limp mode. From experience, and from knowing people who have had them also, it is next to impossible to get them back to a reliable state when it starts to go wrong. Whatever repairs or replacements were done, the car could never be depended on again as it could randomly go into limp mode, or refuse to start.

My mother had an S40 of that era and after 6 weeks or so we had finally had enough and I had to go down to the dealer and bang on the desk to get them to take the car back and give us a refund.

I bet I know someone that has had problems with every popular brand of car in Ireland but I would still buy them.....

Between that above and this below, you are the epitome of a bar stool expert.

"Audi and anything VW related would have a reputation for frequent, expensive electrical and electronic problems that are often intractable and can never seem to be resolved in a satisfactory way until they just come up with the crazy expensive notion of replace the loom, replace the ecus, replace every sensor, switch and actuator idea.

I have never heard of anyone owning a VW group car not having expensive problems at some stage."

'Luxury' car ~15k budget

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